Bassett Furniture Industries, Inc. announced Monday that it will shut down its wood manufacturing facility in Bassett, Va., resulting in the loss of 280 jobs.
The 323,000 square foot facility will start to cease operations over the next 60 to 90 days.
Most of the products currently manufactured at the Bassett facility will be sourced from overseas suppliers and the company will continue to operate two domestic manufacturing facilities which allow it to provide custom furniture within 30 days.
Over the last few years, as seen in much of the U.S. furniture industry, Bassett has experienced a shift in demand from domestically produced wood products to imported wood products.
According to Robert H. Spilman Jr., Bassett's president and chief executive officer, the plant closing will allow the company to move from being primarily a domestic furniture manufacturing company to a retailer, manufacturer and marketer of branded home furnishings.
After the closure of the Bassett facility, the company will have about 1,500 employees, at a wood furniture plant, an upholstery plant and a supply plant, located in Virginia and North Carolina.
Bassett is working with the Virginia Employment Commission to provide outplacement and other employment assistance to the displaced workers.